Finding Nemo: The History for Kids Parties

Finding Nemo was inspired by a combination of a trip to an aquarium, memories of growing up by the ocean, and the writer's own experience of parenting challenges. Finding Nemo tells the story of life in the Great Barrier Reef, and how Marlin a widowed clownfish parent sees his son (Nemo), get scooped up by a diver that requires him to go searching for him. Marlin feels he has to go after Nemo, not only because he is the only remaining child Marlin has, because Marlin is a big overbearing. Marlin realizes that Nemo has a deformity, known in the film as the Lucky fin, and that others can be mean to Nemo because of it. Nemo, because he wants to be accepted by his schoolmates, tends to rebel against his father's wishes. It is during one of these rebellious moments that Nemo gets himself scooped up and the adventure of Finding Nemo has begun. Marlin teams up with Dory, the forgetful sidekick who helps Marlin accomplish the ultimate rescue of Nemo, but not until after both Nemo and Marlin have some pretty wild adventures. The storyline of Finding Nemo is good for children to view because it affirms the importance of listening to parents and authority figure. In addition, the studio made a concerted effort to keep the basics surrounding the ocean life and fish characteristics as close to realistic so as to make Finding Nemo a good learning experience for children to experience. In 2003, when it was released Finding Nemo became a huge hit, grossing over three-quarters of a billion dollars. In addition, Finding Nemo won Oscars for the best animated film and had three additional Oscar nominations. The company that produced Finding Nemo, Pixar, sold the movie to Disney studios. There are many rumors that a sequel will eventually be released. Meanwhile, kids and parents today still can't get enough of the cute little clownfish, making a Finding Nemo party an excellent choice. Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette, and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes (PartyThemeShop.com) to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/335088

Best Way For Kids to Learn - Books Vs the Internet

I know that seems like such a loaded title as there are so many variables to take into account such as the age of the child, what they want to learn, where they want to learn and so on. But you're reading this article to get a little insight so here goes. On the subject of age a child is never too young to learn. Research shows that infants are formidable learning machines whose brain doubles in size from birth to 5 years. They don't need books or the internet to learn, they just do it naturally. Take talking for example, they learn this effortlessly, and if exposed to many languages while small, a child can learn many with ease, all without the internet or books. Another consideration is what you want them to learn. For example if you would like your children to learn to love nature and respect our environment you can teach them by example. If they see that you never litter, you treat animals kindly, you support wildlife programs and so forth they will follow. Conversely if you don't care about things like that, they can also learn to have an uncaring attitude all without the internet or books. What about kids learning school subjects like Maths, English, Science or History? Which medium would be more helpful, books or the internet? Well, both have their place. Nowadays in many schools computers are replacing books and the keyboard is replacing handwriting. In some schools teaching handwriting is optional sometimes replaced by typing instead. This familiarity with the digital world means it would be easy for kids to learn via the internet at school or at home. On the internet you can find a multitude of programs designed to help your child be successful in most school subjects. They often include an online tutor that can give your child one on one help. Your child can submit assignments online and get valuable feedback to help them improve. What about learning to read, which is the basis for all school subjects? I personally am a great believer in spending time reading books with small children, they can learn to read, learn about stuff they are interested in - like dinosaurs or insects- and at the same time you can strengthen your bond with them. But let's face it just as handwriting may be soon become obsolete for our kids, ebooks are fast replacing paper books. Amazon, the largest bookseller in the world now sells more ebooks than paperbacks and hard cover combined. So where does this leave us? With the latest ereaders of course. You can download heaps of books onto your child's ereader, and on some ereaders like the Kindle book reader you can even borrow books from your library. Your child will never run out of books to read, enjoy and learn from, or books for you to read to them. The movement towards all things digital is obvious and unstoppable. With ereaders both books and the internet can combine to give our kids a head start in this digital world. Visit us soon at http://www.enjoypress.com to find out heaps more about the Kindle book reader and where to buy Kindle. While you're there check out The Greener Choice Infographic that explains why ebooks are better for the environment than paper books. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Celia_Hamilton Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6816511

How to Evaluate Reading Programs for Kids With Learning Disabilities

Identifying the best program for kids with learning disabilities has been one of the major challenges for parents. After all, it's the responsibility of parents to help their children face the practical challenges of life and find their own space in the society. Experts have identified and invented specific methods of teaching these kids with software tools, one-on-one reading and customized teaching programs, all of which are known to help such kids deal with their comprehension and word identification problems effectively. Individual-Specific Reading Programs A wide range of programs have been designed and developed to help kids who struggle with writing and reading due to dyslexia and related issues. There are different specialized programs that focus on different skills, such as reading, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, writing and spelling. Based on your child's requirement and with professional assistance, you would be able to execute the best choice for your kid. Development of Word Recognition Skills Several programs of word recognition and phonics with specific instructions have been developed and integrated by experts to help kids with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Specific focus on vocabulary, phonics and work recognition aids in building a base knowledge and activating it to comprehend contents of text while reading improves the child's fluency. Other aspects like history, math, music, science etc, which require words that are content-specific, should also be taken care of. In order to assist you to evaluate the best reading programs and alleviate your confusion, Dr. Swanson, Ph.D. - leading psychology professor from University of California, has analyzed and identified the most effective approach to enhance the recognition skills of kids with LD, through segmentation, sequencing, and advanced organizers. Some of the most effective technologies teachers adapt to help the kids in recognizing words include: Phonics Decoding Word attack skills Phonemic awareness Evaluating the Reading Program for your Kid With the right knowledge of the best teaching techniques, you may go through the following guidelines to evaluate the reading program of your kid: Professional classes or institutions provide a detailed schedule and list of programs that are customized to develop the specific skills of your child. If they do not provide it, you will have to request for the same. Clarify all your doubts about every program on offer (especially the ones suitable for your kid) and ask how it would benefit your child. Be aware of the complete instruction model and strategies that are designed for your child, as there are certain literature programs that specify the teacher's approach. Have periodic meetings with your child's teacher to see if everything is going according to the schedule and how your child is doing or responding. While all these are to be done with care, it is equally important for you to do your part and offer your kid complete support at home. Remember- it is the understanding and motivation that would help the child face life with confidence. For a reliable and reputed reading program for kids with learning disabilities, you can visit http://austinlearningsolutions.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Crossley Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9048571

Learn About Homeschool Curriculum Reviews

All parents want the best education for their children, perhaps none more so than homeschooling parents. With so many homeschool curriculums available on the market today, it has become necessary to find reviews that can help parents make the right decision on choosing the best curriculum. You must know where to find homeschool curriculum reviews so your child can get the best possible home education. You can contact curriculum publishers and ask for samples of their materials. Review these samples and see if they fit your personal home schooling philosophy. Compare the samples to determine which ones are best. It's a good idea to find out the curriculum being used by public and private schools in your area. Some of the curriculum materials may be available to homeschoolers. See how they compare with other curriculums. Talk to other parents of homeschooled children and ask about the curriculums they are using. Find out what they like or don't like about their child's curriculum. A reliable homeschool review is a valuable tool that can help you choose the best curriculum for your child. A number of sites provide curriculum reviews for homeschooling. Most of these sites focus on the advantages of the curriculum being reviewed and not so much on the negative side, but they are still very helpful in finding the information you want. The following homeschool curriculum review sites are suggested: Home School Christian Reviews: This site provides home schooling product reviews, including curriculum author interviews. Home School Reviews: This site provides reviews of specific homeschool curriculum posted by various people who have actually used the curriculums. You can expect honest feedbacks on what they like or don't like about the curriculum. However, you must remember that a curriculum someone does not like may be exactly what you are looking for. Cathy Duffy's Home School Curriculum Reviews: You will find reviews of the major home school curriculums as well as lesser known materials. The reviews are detailed and frequently offer concrete examples from the materials. The benefits as well as actual and potential problems of the curriculums are also cited. Living Math Reviews: Parents looking for effective math-related home school curriculums can use this site to check out the best ones available in the market today. This site gives good advice and is highly recommended. After checking out different homeschool curriculum review sites, you should be able to make your choice more easily. Know the learning style and type of structure you want before you begin your search for a curriculum for homeschooling. Read more about online homeschooling program [http://www.starthomeschooling.net/] and check out our recommended free homeschooling curriculum [http://www.starthomeschooling.net/free-homeschooling-curriculum/] by visiting our website today! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathleen_Monty Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4954653

How to Choose the Best Home School Curriculum for your Family

One of the most frequently asked question by home schoolers is : "What home school curriculum should I buy?" It definitely is a hard question and perhaps you are asking that question right now. However, I will not be giving you a simple answer so that you can purchase the correct home school curriculum for your family. Instead I will give you the tools and questions you need to ask in order to make a good choice. Firstly, to choose home school curriculum that will suit your family, you need to work out what your goals are for your family. Goals help you to set out the plan for your family, working within your family's value system, and take into consideration your children's needs and special interests. When you have decided where your family is headed, it will be easier to make a decision about what sort of home school curriculum you need and also what you do not need. Here are some important things to consider when choosing curriculum: Firstly, not every subject needs a curriculum. Often subjects can be taught simply by reading and discussing and writing. Homeschoolers can also be plagued by the idea that when it comes in a box or is created by an "educational expert", it will teach the subject better than themselves. Don't be fooled - things can be taught far simpler than what you think. We do not need to teach each subject for 12 or more years - adding snippets of learning a year at a time. Remember, we are homeschoolers and have the flexibility of our own choices - how and when we teach. Secondly, remember the Curriculum should be there to serve us, not rule us. Make sure whatever you buy that you remember who is in control. Often curriculum is written with many learning styles and optional activities included. These do not all need to be done and home school parents need to be able to pick and choose what will suit their family and not be driven by the home school curriculum itself. Cost is a factor which needs considering. How many children will this curriculum teach and what other alternatives are there? Time. How teacher friendly is this curriulum? How much time will it take for you to prepare before you actually teach the material? Independent learning. For some families, curriculum which encourages independent learning is a positive consideration so that other children can be attended to and so that the skills of independence are taught. Is the material consumable or can it be used by a number of children? Can you make it re-useable by using plastic overlays with whiteboard markers or asking your child to work in a workbook, rather than in the book itself? What sort of learning style does the curriculum use? Is this important to you? As you read about different home school curriculum, it is a good idea to weigh the curriculum against others with these factors in mind. One terrific tool which would help you do this, and which I have used is called Choose It. Use this tool and in 5 easy steps you will be able to choose curriculum according to factors which you consider important. In Step One you write the question your are answering (What history home school curriculum should I choose?) In Step Two, you list the names of home school curriculum which you are interested in. In Step Three, you list factors which need to be considered and how important each factor is to you. In Step Four, you judge each curriculum according to your above factors. In Step Five - you have your answer! The computer gives each curriculum a percentage which indicates the best choice which fits the factors you have chosen. Of course, you may not choose to go along with the decision, but this step by step decision making software helps you to work out what is really important to you. Give it a go. Below are some factors you may wish to consider when using Choose It. When choosing history home school curriculum - these may be some factors to consider: Does the homeschool curriculum cover all ages? Do I need to buy extra books? - cost factor What perspective is it written from? (Christian/Evolutionary basis?) Does this fit with your family's values? Is it teacher friendly? Does it teach using different learning styles? Projects? Reading? Hands-on? Does it use consumable workbooks? How involved do you want to be in teaching history? Does this curriculum suit your teaching style? Is it an integrated curriculum - covering more subjects? Is this important to you? When choosing Math Home school curriculum - these may be some factors to consider: Does the material span across all ages and levels? Does this matter to you? Re-useable textbooks or consumable? Independent learning or teacher intensive? - How much time do you have as a parent? Cost Does it incorporate different learning styles? Hands-on, pictorial and abstract? Does it come with concrete materials or can you purchase them separately? Video or on-line learning? Would this style suit your child? Does this curriculum use enough review? or too much? Does the expectation of time needed each day for this curriculum suit your family? Does the curriculum have an answer key? Does it keep records or your child's progress when consdering an on-line program? Using the Choose It! tool and factors which are important to you, you can work out which home school curriculum would be best for your family. Use the Choose It! tool here Or read some more guidelines for choosing home school curriculum here Written by Marianne V from design-your-homeschool.com Here you will find a Guide to help you uniquely design-your-own home school to suit your family's goals, and develop your own individual approach that reflects these goals and complements your lifestyle and needs. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marianne_Vanderkolk Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1068378

Media Pembelajaran

              Media yang merupakan bentuk jamak dari medium secara harfiah berarti perantara atau pengantar. Asosiasi Pendidikan Nasional Amerika mendefinisikan media dalam lingkup pendidikan sebagai benda yang dapat di manipulasikan, dilihat, di dengar, dibaca atau dibicarakan beserta instrumen yang dipergunakan untuk kegiatan tersebut.

Media pembelajaran (Yusufhadi Miarso, 2004) adalah segala sesuatu  yang dapat menyalurkan pesan serta dapat merangsang perhatian, pikiran, perasaan, dan  kemauan si belajar sehingga dapat mendorong terjadinya proses belajar yang disengaja, bertujuan dan terkendali.

Kegunaan Media

1.       Media dapat memberikan rangsangan yang bervariasi kepada otak kita, sehingga otak kita dapat berfungsi secara optimal.

Hasil penelitian Roger W. Sperry pemenang hadiah Nobel 1984 menyatakan bahwa otak tidak dapat dominan secara serentak. Rangsangan pada salah satu belahan saja secara berkepanjangan akan menyebabkan ketegangan. Karena itu, sebagai salah satu implikasi dalam pembelajaran adalah kedua belahan perlu dirangsang bergantian  dengan rangsangan audio dan visual

2.       Media dapat mengatasi keterbatasan pengalaman yang dimiliki oleh siswa

3.       Media dapat melampaui batas ruang kelas

4.       Media memungkinkan adanya interaksi siswa dengan lingkungan

5.       Media menghasilkan keseragaman pengamatan

6.       Media membangkitkan keinginan dan minat baru

7.       Media membangkitkan motivasi dan merangsang untuk belajar

8.       Media memberikan pengalaman yang integral/menyeluruh dari sesuatu yang konkret maupun abstrak

9.       Media memberikan kesempatan kepada mahasiswa untuk belajar mandiri

10.   Media meningkatkan kemampuan keterbacaan baru (new literacy) yaitu kemampuan untuk membedakan dan menafsirkan objek, tindakan, dan lambang yang tampak, baik yang alami maupun buatan manusia yang terdapat dalam lingkungan

11.   Media meningkatkan efek sosialisasi, yaitu dengan meningkatnya kesadaran akan dunia sekitar

12.   Media meningkatkan kemampuan ekspresi diri guru maupun siswa 

Taksonomi Media

(Hadey&Ullmer, dalam Yusufhadi M)

1. Media Penyaji

       Media yang mampu menyajikan informasi

2. Media Objek

       Media yang mengandung informasi

3. Media Interaktif

       Media yang memungkinkan berinteraksi

1.       Media Penyaji

Kelompok 1

       Grafis, Bahan Cetak dan Gambar Diam

       Bahan cetak  : simbol angka dan huruf

       Grafis : dibuat melalui proses gambar

       Gambar Diam : Dibuat melalui proses fotografi

Persamaannya  : penyajiannya sama yaitu visual diam dan memperagakan pesan secara langsung

Kelompok 2 : Media Proyeksi Diam

       Meliputi:

       1. Film Bingkai (slides)

       2. Film rangkai (filmstrips) dan transparansi

       termasuk dengan sarana proyektor pantul (opaque projector)

Persamaan : informasi yang disampaikan adalah gambar, cetakan dan grafik garis

Kelompok 3 : Media Audio

                Hanya menyalurkan dalam bentuk bunyi

                1. Rekaman

                2. telp

                3. Radio

         Kelompok 4 : Audio ditambah Media Visual Diam

                Kombinasi rekaman audio dan bahan-bahan visual diam

                1. Film rangkai suara 

        Kelompok 5 : Gambar Hidup (Film)

Media presentasi paling canggih adalah media yang dapat menyampaikan 5 macam bentuk   informasi yaitu gambar, garis, simbol, suara dan gerakan

                Contoh : Film

       Kelompok 6 : Televisi

                TV memang memberikan penyajian yang serupa dengan film tetapi menggunakan proses elektronis dalam merekam,  menyalurkan dan memperagakan gambar. Jadi TV mempunyai karakteristik produksi dan transmisi yang berbeda dengan fim

        Kelompok 7 : Multimedia

Berbagai bahan belajar yang membentuk satu unit atau yang terpadu, dan yang dikombinasikan atau “dipaketkan” dalam bentuk modul atau disebut “kit”, yang dapat digunakan untuk belajar mandiri atau berkelompok tanpa harus di dampingi oleh guru

2.       Media Objek

Media objek : benda tiga dimensi yang mengandung informasi, tidak dalam bentuk penyajian tetapi melalui ciri fisiknya seperti ukurannya, beratnya, bentuknya, susunannya, warnanya, fungsinya, dan sebagainya.

Meliputi :

1.       Objek yang sebenarnya

1.  Objek alami (segala sesuatu yang terdapat di alam dan mengandung informasi bagi kehidupan). Objek yang hidup dan tidak hidup.  Misalnya : batuan dari bulan

2. Objek-objek buatan :

Misalnya  gedung-gedung, bangunan-bangunan, mesin, alat-alat komunikasi, jaringan transportasi

            2. Media objek pengganti

       semua benda yang dibuat untuk mewakili atau menggantikan ”benda-benda yang sebenarnya”

            Objek pengganti disebut juga

1.       Replika

suatu reproduksi statis suatu objek dengan ukuran yang sebenarnya.

2.       Model

sebuah reproduksi yang kelihatannya sama tetapi biasanya diperkecila atau diperbesar dalam skala tertentu dan sering kali mempunyai bagian-bagian yang bergerak atu unsur-unsur yang bekerja menurut pola benda yang sesungguhnya.

3.       Benda tiruan

Mockup

1. Pertama merupakan bangunan yang dibuat kurang lebih menyerupai suatu benda yang besar misalnya bagian dari kapal terbang atau gedung. Mockup ini merupakan tempat belajar siswa.

2. Bentuk yang  menggambarkan mekanisme kerja suatu benda misalnya sistem pembakaran mobil.

        Jenis benda tiruan ini sering kali kelihatan sangat berbeda dari benda yang sesungguhnya karena aksentuasi yang diberikan,  misalnya potongan melintang yang diberikan untuk menjelaskan hubungan dan cara kerja bagian

3. Media Interaksi

                Siswa tidak hanya memperhatikan objek atau penyajian tetapi dipaksa untuk berinteraksi selama mengikuti pelajaran

Ada 3 jenis interaksi

1.       Siswa berinteraksi dengan program, misalnya siswa mengisi blanko pada teks yang terprogram

2.       Siswa berinteraksi dengan mesin,misalnya mesin pembelajaran, simulator, lab  bahasa atau terminal komputer

3.       Interaksi ketiga : mengatur interaksi siswa secara teratur tetapi tidak terprogram. Misalnya permainan pendidikan, simulasi yang berorientasi pada pemecahan masalah

Usia Tidak berbanding Lurus dengan Kedewasaan

Ada mahasiswa yang bertanya, “apakah semakin bertambah usia seseorang maka dia akan semakin matang?”

Saya jawab,”tidak. Semakin tua usia seseorang tidak menjamin ia semakin dewasa dan matang”.

 Kenapa demikian ?

Sebelum saya membahas masalah usia tidak berbanding lurus dengan kedewasaan, mari kita cermati berbagai berita di media baik di koran, televisi, di internet maupun di radio banyaknya orang-orang yang notabene ayah kandungnya sendiri, kakak atau adiknya, kakek atau pamannya yang tega mencabuli bahkan memperkosa anaknya, keponakannya, adik atau tetangga dekatnya hingga hamil atau sampai melahirkan anak. Orang-orang yang jelas-jelas diberi amanah untuk menjaga dan mendidik, berlaku sebaliknya.

Apakah hal ini berkaitan dengan kedewasaan ?? mungkin sebagian orang berpikir ini masalah akhlak orang tersebut dan bukan masalah kedewasaan, tetapi sebenarnya ini termasuk masalah kedewasaan yaitu kematangan seseorang. Seharusnya seseorang semakin matang ketika semakin bertambah usianya tetapi itu tidak terjadi pada orang-orang yang melakukan hal-hal tersebut diatas. Itu hanya sebagian contoh kecil saja yang menunjukkan perilaku tidak dewasa dan matang, masih banyak contoh dalam perilaku, berpikir dan bertindak yang tidak mencirika kematangan meskipu usianya sudah masuk dalam fase dewasa.

Kedewasaan dicirikan dengan kemampuan seseorang dalam berpikir secara logis dan bijaksana dengan mempertimbangkan berbagai hal yang akan diakibatkan dari ucapan, tindakan dan sikapnya. Orang dewasa akan berpikir lebih tenang, lebih logis dan mempertimbangkan berbagai hal  ketika akan mengambil keputusan dan merespon suatu keadaan. Memang untuk mempunyai kemampuan seperti orang dewasa yang seharusnya tidak berdasarkan umur tetapi berdasarkan pilihan diri sendiri dan keinginan untuk belajar. Pilihan  dan belajar apa ?? pilihan untuk menjadi dewasa dan keinginan untuk terus belajar memahami berbagai hal yang terjadi (mengambil hikmah dari setiap kejadian). Banyak anak yang lebih muda usianya tetapi berpikir lebih dewasa dari pada orang tua, dan banyak pula orang tua yang kelakuannya dan cara berpikirnya lebih kanak-kanak daripada anak-anak. Hal  ini terjadi karena anak-anak tersebut memilih untuk dewasa dan mau belajar untuk menjadi dewasa.

Kita hari ini adalah hasil dari hari kemarin. Ketika di hari kemarin kita tidak memilih untuk menjadi dewasa maka hari ini kita tidak akan menjadi dewasa. Hari ini adalah masa depan kita. Ketika banyak hal yang tidak sesuai dengan harapan terjadi dalam kehidupan kita, kita banyak merespon dengan banyak cara.. ada yang kecewa, putus asa, marah pada Allah, dan sebagian kecil ada yang belajar menerima, ikhlas dan tetap berpikir positif menghadapi berbagai masalah kehidupan. Sebagian kecil ini lah orang-orang yang tetap untuk berpikir positif dan belajar untuk mengambil hikmah dari setiap kejadian. Orang menjadi dewasa ketika dia memilih untuk ikhlas dalam setiap kejadian dan belajar untuk mengambil hikmah dari setiap peristiwa yang menimpanya. Orang-orang seperti ini akan selalu berpikir positif dan mencoba memahami tujuan Allah.

Kedewasaan itu terbentuk dari proses yang panjang dan lama yang membutuhkan kesabaran dan ketekunan dalam memahami semua “pelajaran” yang diberikan Allah pada kita. Ibarat pepatah mengatakan “Padi semakin berisi, semakin menunduk”, menunjukkan bahwa ketika kita mendapatkan suatu peristiwa dan dapat mengambil hikmah dari kejadian tersebut maka kita memahami bahwa banyak hal yang belum kita pahami, dan semakin kecilnya kita di mata Allah. Artinya masih banyak hal yang belum kita pelajari. Semakin banyak kita belajar dan berusaha memahami semua yang terjadi akan membuat kita semakin dewasa dan arif dalam menghadapi kehidupan ini.

 Pemahaman inilah yang harus kita pegang, bahwa dewasa itu hasil belajar dalam kelas kehidupan ini dan bukan 1 paket yang kita dapatkan secara  bersamaan ketika kita bertambah usia.